Crew
moves in to tear down structure as land row with relatives
comes to a head

Chutney
queen Ramrajee Prabhoo salvages one of her trophies which
was tossed out into the yard when her home was demolished
yesterday. Photo: Adrian Boodan

By
Adrian Boodan

A demolition crew moved in on the home of chutney queen
Ramrajee Prabhoo yesterday, demolishing the structure.

Prabhoo, who shot to fame in the 1980s, said a gang of 20
men, accompanied by a single police officer, stormed her
home early yesterday and started tearing down the building,
located at Thompson Road in Palmiste, Central Trinidad.

Prabhoo, who is the mother of Nishan The Hitman
Prabhoo, said the gang showed her a document which claimed
she was occupying the property illegally and ordered her
to get out of the house.

The distraught woman said the roof was pulled off from over
her head, the walls were then broken apart, and all of her
belongings, including her prized trophies, were tossed in
the yard.

Prabhoo said she had purchased the house 18 years ago from
a relative for $65,000, but did not buy the land. However,
she said she had since spent $100,000 on renovations.

She said the original owner of the property had since died
and his relatives had been ordering her to get out of the
house and off the property.

Prabhoo said she had contacted her lawyers and the National
Land Tenants and Ratepayers Association on the matter, and
was informed that she was well within her rights to stay
on the property.

Prabhoo claimed she had also been threatened and told to
get out the house by a relative.

She also claimed she was missing several items, including
a cellphone, which prevented her from calling 555 for help,
after the demolition team moved in.